More than a label

I understand that not much is known about Narendra Modi after his days as a chaiwallah, but that is because the Congress were and are more interested in defaming Modi by using his last known identity against him, rather than looking at the big picture and seeing how Modi is doing things for the betterment of the country as a whole and not just for the betterment of the party (“What Anupam Kher doesn’t understand about Modi’s simplistic chaiwallah origin story”).

As for the corruption remark, I don’t think Anupam Kher meant that India is now corruption-free. He just meant that Modi is working towards a better future in terms of development and improving relations with other countries to invite business and change the overall perception of India from an outsider’s point of view.

People see the bigger picture and the advancements made by Modi, which are only minimising the "popularity" of corruption just for the moment. Umang Jain

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You could not appreciate what Anupam Kher said that got audience’s applause. Our nation needs people who see the glass as half full. Ravi Duhan

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The so-called scams listed by the writer are not directly or indirectly connected to the Modi government at the Centre. Will the writer explain the misrepresentation and twisting of facts?

The analogy of a chaiwallah is used to indicate the humble background of the leader. It indicates that he is not some hotshot Oxford/Harvard polished professional-turned-politician. It is no hidden fact that Modi does not have the respect of the so-called intelligentsia of the country.

A balanced view would have been in order. Your opinion matters and so you have far greater responsibility to present both sides of the story and let the reader frame their own judgments.

The writer has gone into overdrive in his eagerness to refute Anupam Kher. Please understand that the views regarding intolerance are actually the phenomena created in the drawing rooms or coffee tables of the intellectual class. For common people, intolerance is about hunger and poverty.

So please do some research before writing articles instead of brazenly copying the primetime soap opera. People read articles for authenticity and not histrionics. Rajesh Singh

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Just writing in to express my appreciation for the article. It was very well articulated. Synthia

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Anupam Kher is a nice person but is currently under Narendra Modi’s spell. He will realise very soon that what he is saying in favour of the prime minister shows him as a most ignorant person. People laugh when he says things like Modi has not taken a single day off. Zahir

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In the hurry to list out incidents of corruption, the writer has miserably failed to notice that these are all state-level issues. Do you want to hold Narendra Modi accountable for each and every issue of the states where the BJP is in power?

Modi hatred has brought the writer to the point wherein if someone snatches a toy from kid, Modi would be held responsible. Modi Bhakt

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The point of saying a “chaiwallah became PM” is simply to point that someone non- Gandhi and not from political family has gotten there on his own. And that is no mean feat to achieve especially in a country like India which is all about dynastic politics.

You must have searched really hard to find the scams that you have pointed out.

It is very easy to criticise someone else for the way they govern and what they have done wrong, but what have you done about it? What is the alternative? Hopefully, Prem, you are smart enough to realise that Modi is not at fault for every wrong thing that has happened to this country in the last 18 months. Swapnil

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It is shameful that instead of supporting a root-level person who is giving his all, working 16-17 hours a day without rest for his nation, we are searching for his weaknesses and how we can stop him from making national progress.

If he succeeds in his mission for the next two to three years, then all other parties, especially the Congress and the Communist parties will disappear from Indian politics. The scams you pointed out are mostly fake. Anurag Gupta

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We have all forgotten the real hero of Gujarat, a certain Verghese Kurien. Wasn’t he the man who changed the face of Gujarat? A reader